Lighting systems have been incorporated into footwear, generating distinctive flashing of lights for a person wearing the footwear. These systems generally have an inertial switch, so that when a runner's heel strikes the pavement, the switch moves in one direction or another, triggering a response by at least one circuit that typically includes a power source and a means for powering and controlling the lights. The resulting light flashes are useful in identifying the runner, or at least the presence of a runner, because of the easy-to-see nature of the flashing lights. Thus, the systems may contribute to the fun of exercising while adding a safety feature as well.
These lighting systems, however, suffer from a number of deficiencies. There is typically no on-off switch for the lighting system, and thus the system is “on” all the time, draining the power source, which is typically a small battery. Even if the only portion of the system that is operating is an oscillator or timer, the power drain over time is cumulative, thus leading to shorter-than-desirable battery life.
Another deficiency is the limited utility of the system, confined as it is to footwear. There may be other articles of clothing that could incorporate or add a lighting system, useful for decorative or safety purposes, or at least to alert others to the presence of the person wearing the article, such as persons moving or stationary in a construction, high-traffic or otherwise potentially-hazardous situation. In addition to articles of clothing, the lighting system could potentially be useful on accessories or objects that are worn by or on or near a person, such as a back-pack, a book-bag, a baby-carriage, a brief case, and the like. Prior art systems, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,201, however, do not include these applications.
Another deficiency is the nature of the inertial switch, such as the one depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,479, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The lighting system will only be turned on when the inertial switch is activated. Because the lighting system is incorporated into footwear, there may be no other switch, and thus the opportunities for turning the system on or off are limited to actuating the inertial switch, i.e. to running. It would be desirable to have some other means for turning the lighting system on and off. The present invention is directed at correcting these deficiencies in the prior art.